First BE ODE next month, any advice welcome!

[Rollingdinosaur]

I am finally taking the plunge, and having a go at a proper affiliated ODE next month, if I don't get balloted out. I am excited, and somewhat terrified. I have done several unaffiliated ones, and not made a complete tit of myself, so this seems like the logical next step.

I would be interested to hear any tips, or ideas of what to expect, from those in the know. Will the standard be a lot higher? Will I look a prat, as a lot of my gear is on the cheap side, and I will be turning up in 4WD and trailer, rather than a swanky lorry. I am also not sure on the hat standard required, it mentions PAS 015, and kitemark. Does that mean it needs both? My hat has the kite mark, but not the other bit. I suspect that means I need a new hat, but I don't want to fork out for one if I don't need to. Any tips will be gratefully accepted, thanks.

[tootsietoo]

Well that is a fair point Frosty! It certainly is no mean achievement just to have a horse and rider fit and reasonably well schooled enough to stay in some white boards and jump round some fences!

Knee sounds a nightmare.

[IsItTimeForGinYet]

Knee sounds a nightmare but the lack of wifi is even worse!!! It's ridiculous how reliant we are now on it.

Bravo to anyone who gets out on their horse. Dressage lesson tonight. Hopefully more progress will be made. And have another saddle to plonk on him and see whether it fits...

[frostyfingers]

Wifi is back - thank god! Trying to work in the pub is surprisingly difficult - honest.

Horse is sound and I'm hoping a friend will come and ride him for me and I have an appointment early next week to find out what the damage is. It feels tons better although it's a bit swollen and I'm not sure I'd pass a vetting at the moment.

I'll have to put up with your adventures for now, so keep at it and keep me entertained please! A dressage lesson sounds like seriously hard work.....

[IsItTimeForGinYet]

Hooray for wifi and that horse is sound and hope you will be trotting up sound too very soon. There is always something isn't there?!

Dressage lesson was fab. I have started having one once a week after not having had one for years. It is amazing and whilst we are doing very basic stuff there is improvement each time. Who knew a trot could be so improved by a rein back first? I had no idea!

[Rollingdinosaur]

Glad you are on the mend and the wifi is back Frosty! You are right about getting there being an achievement. You also need a healthy dose of luck, to get you and the horse there in one piece and ready to go.

Dressage lessons sound good Gin, when do you reckon you will manage a ODE now? It sounds like you will be well prepared!

Whats next for you tootsie?

I have a couple of photos, and have been staring at them lots! Not sure whats next yet, but will hopefully be soon!

[tootsietoo]

Saturday is next, another 80. I will focus on every detail, I must kick like a pony clubber before every fence. I WILL get a rosette this time!

I always think it's lucky that it's only the horses that need to be sound - we don't need to pass the vet!

Don't go all diamante browbands and white numnahs on us now Gin, remember the jumping bit.....

[IsItTimeForGinYet]

Can I get away with diamond bands for the mane plaits? don't worry, I am proper old school although do have a white saddle cloth for dressage but surely that's alright?!

Had thought of entering the local UA ode at the beginning of June but he is making such good progress on the flat at the moment, I don't really see the point. Probably because I haven't evented for 16 years and because this horse is a keeper I don't feel the need to rush. He is also massive so would need to go straight in at 90 as a minimum and we need to get out xc schooling and that isn't happening at the moment due to lack of saddle. Saddles are a nightmare. And before someone suggests it he is too big to ride bareback!!

Good luck at next comp. I love the saying "ride it like you stole it"!

[Rollingdinosaur]

I really hope you do this time. I will keep everything crossed for you tootsie!!

Gin how big is he?? At least you are half way there with the saddle now.

[tootsietoo]

Thank you rolling dinosaur.

Definitely agree, no rush at all. And it's far cheaper and easier to do your schooling by going to combined training and hunter trials in the autumn, ready for next season, rather than doing what I did and spending £100 to go and school round a BE course (last summer)!

I do believe that white saddle cloths and in fact white boots too are not considered OTT at an event. However I don't own either (yet). I haven't really got out of the hunting mindset yet - I don't boot, bandage or stud, and feel a little bit bling in my recently bought second hand boots with a zip up the back, curvy top and no garter strap! (Although I do borrow my 8 yr old DD's schooling whip which is lilac with a diamante handle as it's the only one we have!)

[IsItTimeForGinYet]

I do have the White saddle cloth which comes out for competitions but no white boots. Horse doesn't hunt in boots but does hack and school in them.

He was meant to be 17hands when I bought him but he's not. I reckon closer to 17.3 if I am honest but i am usually in denial and tell people 17. They look a bit . But he's lovely. I'm just under 6' and he's very compact so doesn't ride like a big horse. But jumps bigger jumps better than smaller ones.

Have just taken our mare who is in foal off to the stud farm ready to have it. She's due in a couple of weeks which is exciting and terrifying in equal measure!

Hope everyone has a great weekend and happy competing if that's on the agenda!

[IsItTimeForGinYet]

Is it this Saturday Tootsie?!

[tootsietoo]

17.3!!! That's enormous! How exciting to be having a foal. My friend who I am going competing with rides a homebred - a really lovely thing to be able to do.

Yes, tomorrow. I was told today by friend that I MUST have a white saddle cloth for dressage. She is coming to watch (she didn't get in sadly) and is lending me hers apparently!

[IsItTimeForGinYet]

Shhhhhhhh. He's not 17.3. He can't be. He must be 17hands as advertised. One perk is that hedges out hunting look quite jumpable from his back!!!!

Good luck tomorrow. Do report back and hope the shiny white saddlecloth dazzles the judges!

[Rollingdinosaur]

Bloody hell, that is big! I bet everything looks tiny from up there!

How did it go today tootsie? I hope you had better weather there than we've had today.

[tootsietoo]

2nd!!!!! Eeeeeeeeee! 24 dressage, 1 down SJ, clear XC 3 seconds over the time so 1.2 time penalties. Finally cracked it XC, he wasn't spooky at all, really enjoyed the flying feeling at the chunkier fences. Don't know why we had the one down SJ. He was actually towing me in to the fences a bit but I was also trying to make sure I was right on his case in case he spooked, so perhaps I made him flatten a bit. We were only beaten by 0.5 penalties. He broke in his canter in the dressage test, the only error - if we had got an 8 instead of a 6 for that move we would have won. It's always "if only"!! Fortunately for my pride I managed to beat a friend's 11 year old daughter by 2 penalties! We have qualified for a local championship by coming 2nd. V pleased! Not got another one now for a month, I shall go into a decline! When is your next one rolling dinosaur?

[IsItTimeForGinYet]

Amazing!!!! Congratulations Tootsie!! That's fantastic!! I know the "if only" game but 2nd is brilliant!

[Rollingdinosaur]

Oh wow, well done you, what a result! Our first thread rosette. Let's hope it's the first of many.

[frostyfingers]

Oh well done you, how exciting - hope you got some good pics too. I was hobbling around the event I should have been riding at today, not sure it was a good idea but various friends did quite well so I'm mulling over the Eventer Challenge in a couple of weeks. Doctor on Tuesday so will see what she says first.

Dhorse has now had 2 weeks off, how much fitness will he have lost in that time do you think? If I can get back on to hack this week and find a friend to do some faster work is 2 weeks enough to get him back on track?

[tootsietoo]

They start to lose fitness after a couple of weeks, but if he's still doing a bit of work I'm sure he'd be fine for a round of show jumps and a dressage test. I did see some very unfit horses yesterday - I think for 80 eventing a lot of people don't really bother with much proper fitness work, but they probably should.

Don't bugger up your knee by riding too early though.

[IsItTimeForGinYet]

How fit was he before your accident? If very fit it won't take much to get him going again but do be careful with your knee. Well done for going to the event today too. I don't know if I could have!!

I'm beginning to panic about saddle or lack of. Dressage saddle I was trying is going back tomorrow as while it fits the horse it is too wide for me. And saddler not prepared to fit anything close contact so need to find another saddler. Grrrr.

Hope everyone had fun on their ponies.

[tootsietoo]

There is a great saddler up here, although not sure how often she travels down south (which I think is where you said you were?). //www.freedomsaddlery.co.uk

[IsItTimeForGinYet]

Bummer! Too far. Looks a great saddler though. Thanks for mentioning.

[frostyfingers]

Well he was hunting twice a week fit then had a month off and been back in work for 3 weeks..... So probably about 70% fit. There were a lot of puffing horses yesterday I thought. I'll see what Doctor says & then decide.

Good luck saddle hunting, I hope you're sorted soon.

[IsItTimeForGinYet]

Good luck at the docs today Frosty. Hope he gives you some positive news. My horse had 7 weeks off over Christmas. He was handwalked during this time and when we were given the go ahead to start riding we were allowed to trot immediately. As he was quite fresh I trotted him up one of our serious hills thinking he would get tired halfway up. He pulled my arms out and was hardly puffing at the top. Just see how he is. He may not have lost much or he may have lost quite a bit. Listen to what he tells you. And let us know how docs goes.

[frostyfingers]

Mixed result really! She's pleased that the swelling has almost gone and it doesn't look like it'll need surgery/flushing at the moment. However she said that I was absolutely banned from getting on a horse for another 4 weeks minimum, in fact I'm to put no extra strain on it at all otherwise it might well require surgery.....

So I'll have to do as I'm told. I'm now frantically asking round now to see if anyone wants to exercise dhorse and keep him ticking over for me.